The phrase “hidden gem” is often used – and overused – to describe a course that a golfer stumbles upon by accident and then sings its praises for evermore.

The cliché is bandied about too freely in my opinion, often because someone has had the round of their life on a course they have never seen before.

Not the same, however, could be said about Letham Grange as I discovered on a four-day, three-round golfing break in the east of Scotland.

Set in the sprawling grounds of a gracious baronial mansion, Letham’s Old Course plays to over 6,600 yards where water comes into play to varying degrees on 13 of the 18 holes.

The first tee is high above the fairway which wends its way from the back of the mansion. A good opening, if not gentle hole, but from there it just keeps getting better A memorable stretch is from the 8th to the 10th – the 8th is a par three played over a picturesque lake on to a green surrounded by mature trees.

Possibly the biggest test is the double dog leg par 5 9th – a narrow landing area off the tee, a second which needs to be played round the corner to open up a well protected green.

Then there’s the 10th, probably the most spectacular hole on the course.

At a relatively short, in modern terms, 391-yard par 4 the tee is high above the fairway while a 100-yard carry over the lake awaits the second.

The course, once described as the “Augusta of Scotland” and having played host to the BBC series Play Better Golf, it finishes with a reachable par 5 17th and a delightful par 4 18th with the mansion house as a perfect backdrop behind the green. Like many courses in Scotland each hole has its own name – the 18th is Haste Ye Back, and I, for one, certainly will.

If Letham Grange could be likened to a Danish lager, it would probably be one of the best inland courses in Britain.

The fairways are lush and the greens true – the only conditions to worry about are the elements.

Letham Grange also has a second course – the Glens – at a more gentle 5,500 yards, but equally as testing and in as good condition.

While the mansion house reflects the Victorian era, the courses are just 20 years old – although having played it, its maturity and condition would suggest a much older venue.

Another venue taken in on the trip was Montrose Medal – a true Scottish links where golf has been played in some form since 1562, more than 20 years before Mary Queen of Scots met her demise.

The current medal course measures between 5,622 yards (ladies) to 6,544 (whites) and is the fifth oldest course in the world, prompting Ben Crenshaw to comment: “A magnificent stretch of marvellously natural ground which depicts how the game was born.”

If you are looking for classic Scottish links this is a must.

It is a traditional links layout requiring good shotmaking skills, particularly in the sea breezes which can alter the character of the course on a daily basis.

Carnoustie is probably the big name among the three courses I played, but that should not take anything away from the other two whatsoever.

Running alongside and through the 2007 Open Championship course, the 6,028-yard Burnside is just as much a challenge as its bigger and more famous brother.

Established in 1914 it has its own intricacies and character but is similar in style to the championship course, although shorter.

The fairways are tight and fast and the greens are quick, true and tend to be very undulating.